One of the finest string practitioners of his time, David Bromberg is a master of the guitar (any kind), the mandolin, the banjo, the dobro, the pedal steel and what have you. (He took time off his performing career in the 1990's to build and repair violins.) His oeuvre is eclectic, ranging from old-timey blues to contemporary jazz. He is also quite at home with bluegrass, folk, country & western and a broad spectrum of rock & roll.

An unpredictable quipster and a curmudgeon, Bromberg's appearance evokes an admixture of an Hassidic rabbi and a retired lumberjack. With a sly sense of humor, an uncompromising commitment to his craft and a famously short fuse, Bromberg is a marvelous (if unprepossessing) performer who will often regale his audience with a ribald yarn or wow them with an impromptu, unplugged excursion--off the stage and through the room--that can raise goosebumps. An itinerant troubadour with 40-plus years on the road and in the studio (and an impressive contingent of A-list musical colleagues to show for it) a Bromberg show is often graced with extraordinary guest appearances.

His discography, while not especially expansive, is nevertheless rock solid and quite representative of his versatility. Of his studio albums, Sideman Serenade is an excellent example, but the essential Bromberg recording is the two disc How Late'll You Play 'Til, a live album recorded at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall in 1976, which showcases his full range as a musician and a performer. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.